Sign-board.



'A. O. JOHNSON.

SIGN BOARD.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 16, 1907.

PATENTED JULY 28', 1908. I

ALVIN Q...IOHNSON, OF CHICAGO,' ILLINOIS.

SIGN-B oARD.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed August 16, 1907 serial No. 388,909.

v Patented aui 'es, 1908.

To all whom it may concern: I

Be it known that I, ALVIN O. J OHNSON, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook, State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvementsin Sign-Boards; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same;

The present invention relates to improvements in sign boards, and it aims to provide an exceedingly simple and inexpensive device adapted for use as a menu-board. in cafs, restaurants, drug stores, and similar places to indicate the side dishes or flavors ready to be served.

Heretofore where a set bill-of-fare'or syrup list in the form of a painted sign board has been made use of, it has been found impossible to indicate thereon the non-service of certain dishes or syrups on the particular day, or to add extra dishes to the list without marking or otherwise marring the bill-offare, which is rendered more unsightly by the erasure of such dishes as have become out of season, or discontinued.

It is the particular object of the invention, therefore to overcome these defects by providing a sign-board in the form of a frame carrying a plurality of slats, upon which the names of the various dishes are indicated, such slats being readily and quickly removed from the frame or disposed therein.

The invention further resides in the provision of an improved fastening device for retaining the slats in place and preventing accidental or wilful misplacement thereof, such device consisting of a cleat which extends across all of the slats and is itself held in place by a series of ears secured to the frame.

With the above and other ends in view the invention consists in the construction, combination, and arrangement of parts, all as hereinafter fully described, specifically claimed and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which like parts are designated by corresponding reference numerals in the several views. 7

Of the said drawings, Figure 1 is a front elevation of the present invention, Fig. 2 is a rear elevation thereof, .Fig. 3 is an enlarged horizontal section on the line 33 of Fig. 2.

In its practical embodiment the sign board comprises an open rectangular frame including top and bottom members 7 and 8 and side members 9 and 10, the latter having rabbets 11 formed in their inner faces and exdinal seat 13, which communicates with and serves as an extension of the rabbet formed therein, the said seat being coextensive in length with said rabbet.

The slats above referred to, are held against displacement by means of a cleat 14, which is movable between the inner faces of the top andbottom frame members 7 and 8, directly across the rear faces of the slats into and out of engagement with a vertical series of ears 15, which are secured to the frame. As shown in Fig. 2, three such ears are illustrated, the upper ear of which is carried by the top member 7, the lower car by the bottom member 8, and the central ear by the side member 10, said ears being arranged in vertical alinement with each other.

It will be apparent from the foregoing that when the slats are properly arranged one above the other with their opposite ends fitting in the rabbets, and the sliding cleat 14 is moved into position across the rear faces of thes'lats beneath said ears, any displacement or removal of the slats will be positively-prevented. When, however, the cleat is disengaged from the ears, the slats may be readily removed'from the frame by reason of the fore-shortening or decreased width of the 1 dish is marked from the frame, and it will be equally apparent that where certain dishes are added to the list, the slats which bear the names of such dishes may likewise be inserted in place within the frame.

The various parts of the sign board maybe formed of any preferred material, and may be ornamented in any desired manner, and changes inthe shape, size, and proportion of such parts, and in the minor details of the inincluding top, bottom and side members,-

said side membershaving rabbets formed in their inner faces and extending from end to end thereof, the rear face of one of said side members bein provided with a seat located at the inner e ge thereof and forming an 6X? tension of the rabbet therein throughout its entire length, a series of removable slats having their opposite ends extending into said ra bets, a series of ears secured to the rear. face of the frame, and a member slidable across the rear faces of said slats into and out ofengagementwithsaid ears, to prevent displacement of said slats;

2. A sign-board comprising an open frame including top, bottom, and side members, said side members havingv rabbets formed in their inner faces and extending from end to end thereof, one of sald side members having a seat formedin its rear face at the inner edge A i other, and a cleat movable directly across the rear faces of said slats between the inner faces of the top and bottom members into and, out of position between said slats and ears, to prevent displacement of said slats.

In testimony whereof, I affix my signature, in presence of two witnesses.

ALVIN O. JOHNSON.

Witnesses:

E. L. AQUA-RT, Jos. CROMPTON, Jr. 

